Automatic switch-operating means



M. T. JACKSON.

'AUTOMATIC SWITCH OPERATING MEANS.

Patented 0015.18, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEEI l.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5.192]. 1,394,416.

M. T. JACKSON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH OPERATING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR; 5 1921. 1,394,416, Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LTQGAKSO 71/.

M. T. JACKSON. AUTOMATIC SWITCH OPERATING MEANS.

' Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEEI 3.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5.1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-OPERATING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed March 5, 1921. Serial No. 449,679.

To all wlwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, MnRRrrT T. JAoKsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Faber, in the county of Nelson and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful I mplrovements in Automatic Switch-Operating cans, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my present invention is the provision of improved means whereby a switch may be opened by a train moving 011 a main track toward a siding so as to cause the train to pass to the siding, and then after said passage the switch may be closed or set for a clear main track by the train, and vice versa.

Another object is the provision of improved tensioning means for preventing loose or casual movementof the parts.

Another object is the provision of improved means whereby the switch points may be expeditiously and easily disconnected from the automatic mechanism when it is desired to manually move the said points through the medium of a hand lever without moving the automatic mechanism.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof Figure 1 is a'broken top plan showing the track portion of my improvement.

Fig. 2 is a projected, broken side elevation of the same. n

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing one of the tensioning provisions. V

Fig. 4: is an enlarged section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing the detachable connection referred to.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevationshowing the relation of a locomotive tappet to one of the switch-throwing levers.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the means in the locomotive cab for controlling said tappet. i I

Fig. 7 is a detail plan showingthe two tappets on the locomotive, one for use when the train is moving from main track to siding and the other for use when the train is moving from siding to main track.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section of one ozf said tappets, on the line :8-8 of Fig.

Figs. 9 and 10 are views of one of the rearc ar tappets; Fig. 10 being a section on the line 101O of Fig. 9, and it being understood that in. accordance with my invention the rear car of a train will, by preference, be equipped with tappets at opposite sides thereof.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The main track rails 1, the siding rails 2, the frog 3, the movable switch points i, the manually-operable lever 53, and the bar 6 connecting the points 4 and lever 5 may be of the ordinary construction or of any other construction compatible with the purpose of my invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4:, the bar 6 is provided with a hinged terminal portion 7 on which is. an apertured lug 8, designed to be detachably secured by a padlock 9 in coupled relation to a hinged link 1.0 on the lever 11 of the automatic mechanism, said lever llbeing fulcrumed at 12. Thus when it is desired to manually throw the switch points 4 by the hand lever 5, said points 4; may be uncoupled from the automatic mechanism and the switchman is saved the labor of moving the parts of said automatic mechanism.

At 13 alongside the main track is a vertically swinging lever, and at 14 alongside the siding is a vertically swinging lever, the lever 13 being for the engagement of a loco motive tappet on a train going from main track to siding and for the engagement of a rear-car tappet of, a train going from siding to main track, and the lever 14 being for the engagement of a rear-car tappet of a train going from main track to siding and for the engagement of a locomotive tappet on a train going from the siding to the main track. The levers 13 and 14: are fixed on transverse rock shafts 15 each of which is tensioned as best shown in Fig. 3 wherein an anti-friction roller 16 is mounted on a crank 17 of the shaft 15 and is disposed above a shoe 18, spring supported at 19 and having one of its ends 20, freely movable on a support 21. This provision manifestly prevents too free movement of the movable parts, and assures the points 4: and the levers 13 and 1d remaining in the positions in which they are placed, it being understood in this connection that a connecting vrod 22 is interposed between the lever 11 and the lever 14, and a rod 23 is interposed between the lever :11 and the ever 1 Also in accordance with my invention the locomotive 24 of a tram 1s equlppedas shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 ,and the last car 25 e of a train is equipped as shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

By reference to Figs. 5 to 7 it will be understood that the locomotive equipment includes a hand lever 26 in the locomotive cab, a segmental rack 27 and detent 28 for adjustably fixing said lever, a transverse rock-shaft 29 on the pilot, and cranks 30 and 31 pinned on said rock-shaft and having outwardly extending tappet arms" 32 on which are preferably employed anti-friction rollers 33. The two arms of the crank 31, Figs. 7 and 8, are connected by a transverse pin 34, and the said pin 34 is arranged and movable in the slot 35 of a triangular member 36, loosely mounted on the shaft 29 between the arms of the crank 31. Said member 36 is connected through a rod 37 with the hand lever 26; and it will also be noted by particular reference to Fig. 8 that a coiled compression spring 38 is arranged about the rear portion of the member 36 and is interposed between the top thereof and the pin 34 to cushion said pin From the relative arrangement of the member 36, pin 34 and spring 38, it will be apparent that through the medium of the shaft 29, member 36, rod37, and the means foradjustably fixing the said rod 37, the tappet arms 32 may be raised to idle position so as to idle by the levers 13 and 14. It will also be apparent that when the tappet'arms 32 are in their lower working positions they are adapted after acting against and rocking the upright levers, to ride over and past said levers, the spring 38 yielding and permitting the necessary upward movement of the arms 32.

The rear car tappet device shown in Figs. 9 and 10 comprises a tappet arm 32 on which is an anti-friction roller 33*, a triangular member 36 loosely mounted on a lateral support 29 carried by the rear car 25, and having a slot 35*, and arm 31 loose on the support 29 and-carrying the arm 32 and also carrying a pin 34* movable in the slot 35*, and a coiled spring 38* surrounding the slotted portion ofthe member 36 and interposedbetween the pin 34 and the top of member 36 to cushion said pin 34*. For the adjustable fixing of the triangular member 36*,saicl memberis provided with a hand lever 26 on which is a detent 28 for cooperation I with a segmental rack 2" fixed with respect to the rear car 25. Manifestly the rear car tappet device as described is possessed of thesame capacity of function as the, locomotive tappet devices shown in Figs. 58, the swinging tappet arm and the swinging member of each having a common center of movement. i V It will be readily understood, from the neer to position-and adjustably fix the lever 26 so as to position the tappet arms 32 as shown in Fig. 5. Then when the right-hand tappet arm 32 reaches the lever 13 it will throw said lever and the switch points 4 and will ride over the lever. It is incumbent on the engineer to raise the tappet arms 32 before the locomotive reaches the lever 14, but when the tappet arm 32* on therear car reaches the lever 14, it will cooperate with said lever 14- to restore the points 4 to the clear main track position shown in Fig. 1, and will then pass over the said lever 14. When a train moves from the siding to the main track, one of the train track one of the rear tappets on. thetrain will act against the lever 13 to move .the points 4 toclear main track position, after which the'latter tappet will ride over. said lever 13. 1

. I have entered into a detail description of the construction and relative arrangement of parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of myinvention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the said embodiment. I do not de sire, however, tobeunderstoodas confining myself to the said-specificconstruction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of the inventionv vari.- ous changes and modifications may be made such as fall within the scope ofmy, inven tion as defined in my appendedrclaims.

Having described my invention, (what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent,

1.- The combination ofthe main track of a railway, a siding,movable switch means, levers connected with the switch means and arranged at opposite sidesof said means andadjacent to the main track and the siding, respectively, and forward and rear tappets on a train, for cooperating with'the levers and throwing the switch means before and after the train passes the, switch,,the

said tappetseachcomprising a swinging 1 the member.

2. A tappet for use on a piece all es s o rampa ng a sw wer arm with a transverse pin, a swinging memher having a slot receiving said pin and adapted to act against and move the pin, a spring carried by said member and interposed between the same and the pin to cushion the movement of the pin independently of the member, means to adjust the member, and means to adjustably fix the member.

3. A tappet for use on a piece of railway rolling stock comprising a swinging tappet arm with a transverse pin, a swinging member having a slot receiving said pin and adapted to act against and move the pin, a spring carried by said member and interposed between the same and the pin to cushion the movement of the pin independently of the member, means to adjust the member, and means to adjustably fix the member, the swinging tappet arm and the swinging member having a common center of movement, and the swinging member being of triangular configuration.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

MERRITT TALMAGE JACKSON. 

